Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Friday, 13 December 2024

A portrait of Emperor Constantine XI is discovered


Mediaevalists.net reports the discovery and identification of a wall painting in a Greek monastery of the last reigning Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI. Although there are portraits of his predecessor. Emperor John VIII from the time of his visit to the Council of Ferrara-Florence, they has not hitherto been a  recognised portrait, as opposed to a conventionalised image, of the Emperor whose body was never adequately identified after the fighting on the dreadful occasion of the Fall of Constantinople on May 29th 1453. 

The discovery is a wall painting that shows western influences, rather than those of icons in its depiction of a Byzantine Emperor, and is in an area that he had ruled as Despot of Morea before his accession to the Imperial throne. It does suggest a family resemblance to his elder brother the Emperor John.

The article about the painting can be seen at Portrait of the Last Byzantine Emperor Discovered


The Wikipedia account, already updated with the portrait, of the of life and legend of the Emperor can be seen at Constantine XI Palaiologos

Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)